


How Lena McCoy's Sabbatical was Ruined (And Who Made It Better)

by JaneyKatherineHummingbird



Series: McKirk Genderswap Fics [4]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: AU set in Riverside, Cop! Verse, Crime Solving, F/M, Female Leonard McCoy, Genderswap, Hurt! Jim, Lena faces down the grim reaper, Murder, detective kirk, poor Bones can't catch a break, touch of romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-11 01:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7019908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneyKatherineHummingbird/pseuds/JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lena McCoy travels to Riverside to relax in a small town away from excitement and trouble. Unfortunately, Trouble finds her anyway in the form of a dead body and an annoying blue-eyed detective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Nasty Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying a different genre: mystery. Let me know if this works.

Why did the drama always happen to her? Lena McCoy was just trying to have a nice peaceful sabbatical in the middle of nowhere, Iowa, when she'd come back to her cozy little rented farmhouse to find the landlord dead in the garage. It didn't take her medical degree to see it wasn't an accident, either. The man's head was pulverized. If that hadn't done the job, the hole in his chest had certainly finished the job. Someone had really wanted Jon Archer dead. She couldn't imagine who, though. He'd been so nice to her, Lena thought. 

Dazedly, she grabbed her phone and called the police. Would they consider her a suspect? It kind of looked bad the way things were, but waiting would only look more fishy. She had alibis, anyway. The dispatcher was a little hard to understand with his Russian accent, but the message got through eventually and and she sat down on the porch to wait, still stunned at the horror of Archer's fate. 

A few minutes later, a couple squad cars and an ambulance came racing up the road, sirens blaring as they pulled into the drive. They came to a stop and two blue-uniformed officers piled out and approached her. They were both tall and skinny, but one had the regal posture and features of a Vulcan and the other was a familiar looking dirty blonde with piercing blue eyes and a slight swagger about him. She was sure she'd seen him around town before when He'd ogled her shamelessly at the grocery store once and she'd glared a hole right through him. "More bad luck," she groaned inwardly. Thankfully, the Vulcan spoke first. 

"Are you Doctor McCoy?", he asked.

"Yes, officer," she replied. "I found him dead as a doornail in the garage when I got home. I didn't touch anything."

"I am Officer Spock and this is Detective Kirk," the man went on, "Where is the victim?"

"In here," she said, leading them to the garage, staying a respectful distance away.

"Did you recognize him?" Spock asked. She closed her eyes, sadness sweeping through her.

"Yes. It was my landlord, Jon Archer."

She heard Kirk suck in a sharp breath.

"What happened?" He broke in urgently.

Lena toned down her irritation at him and tried to give the facts less bluntly. This was a small town and Kirk had likely known Archer all his life.

"Someone shot him in the chest and bashed his head in. Don't know why they felt the need to do both." 

Kirk's mouth tightened as he took in the gruesome scene. He was all professional now.

"Take us through what you saw, as well as you remember it."

Lena nodded. "I went to the library this morning about ten, then stopped at the Riverside cafe for lunch. Archer left a message about ten forty saying he was going to do some work on the mower in the shed and he'd be going in an out of the garage. I got home at twelve thirty, opened the door to put the car in and saw him lying there. Scared the crap out of me. I made a beeline for my purse, grabbed the phone, called the police and waited on the porch."

Kirk scribbled something down in his notebook, then knelt beside the body, snapping on gloves. 

Spock picked up on the questioning. "How long have you resided in Riverside, Doctor?"

"Two weeks. I took a sabbatical from my job in Atlanta to find the quietest, most boring town possible to relax in. My boss knew Archer from their days in the army and he put me in touch when I was looking to rent for a couple months. It worked out great--until today." 

Lena watched Kirk join the other two officers in conversation then turned her attention back to Spock's next question.

"Did he indicate that he was expecting to meet someone? Did you sense any unease or anxiety in his voice?" 

She shook her head. "No and no. Everybody I've met so far seems to like the man." 

Phil, her boss, would be crushed to hear the news. They'd served for years together. Spock looked troubled.

"It is a great loss. He was on the city council and a trusted member of Mayor Pike's staff in addition to a well-liked member of the community." 

She sat down, feeling shaky as police swarmed the garage and crime scene tape began to appear.

Kirk presently came back, looking grim.

"Spock, it's Archer all right. She wasn't kidding about the cranial damage. Looks like someone took a baseball bat to it. You get her statement?"

"Yes, Jim," Spock replied, "All that remains is to verify her whereabouts at the time of the murder." 

"Which shouldn't take long with our small town network. Sulu and Carol are processing. Hey, doc, you okay?"

He suddenly turned to Lena with a tone of concern seeing her staring into space.

"I came here to get a break from massive cerebral hemorrhage and punctured aortas," she grumbled, "not be ogled by off duty cops and find my new friend dead in the garage. My tired out bones can't take it." 

A flush crept up Kirk's neck when he remembered their little encounter.

"Oh. I thought I'd seen you before. I, um, kinda lost control there. Isn't often we get a pretty face around here. I promise I'll behave better. And we'll get to the bottom of this," he pointed toward the body, which was swarmed with police and the medical examiner. "Jim Kirk, by the way."

He stuck out a large hand.

"Lena McCoy."

She shook it with a southern heartiness that surprised him. 

Lena relished his embarrassed stammering, but when he set his jaw in determination to solve the brutal killing, she couldn't help but admire his finely shaped mandible. She somehow felt confident justice would be served.


	2. Bones

Detective James T. Kirk of the Riverside Police Department frowned as he examined the bloody smears on the concrete where Jonathan Archer's body had lain. It boggled his mind that anyone would want to kill the man, let alone will such over the top violence.

"There wasn't much of a struggle," he remarked to his partner, "judging by the pooled blood and the fact that these tools against the wall he could have tried to defend himself with are all unmoved on the hooks. Doesn't look like much got knocked around."

"No," agreed Spock, "He was taken unawares, perhaps shot first, then the attacker, still filled with rage, beat him with a heavy object."

"Could be," Jim said thoughtfully. "Carol's got her work cut out for her on this one. Good thing she's the best ME in the state."

"Is Dr. McCoy still here?", asked Spock as he took several photographs of a gouge in the concrete, possibly from whatever had been used on Archer's head. 

"Yes," Kirk said briefly. "She was going to call her boss. He knew Archer pretty well."

The two of them had made a careful sweep of the house before Lena had been allowed back in, but saw no signs of an intruder.

"That means he's not out to get me, right?" She'd asked hopefully. 

"Probably, but it would be a good idea to find someplace else to stay for a while, until this is cleaned up and we know for sure," Kirk had cautioned.

He figured She'd probably just go back home to Georgia, and he couldn't blame her if she did, but he selfishly hoped if wasn't right away. He'd like a chance to make up for his bad first impression.

He liked her no-nonsense attitude and how level-headed she'd been in the face of a traumatizing scene. And of course, there was the fact she was rather striking with the close-cut brown hair, hazel eyes and killer figure. But, he'd already got in trouble because he couldn't keep his eyes to himself so he returned to scanning the garage for a possible murder weapon. There were several items that could have done the job, but none appeared to have been touched in years.

"I would say the weapons aren't here anymore: No gun, no blood-covered bludgeon. We'll have to wait to see what the bullet tells us after Carol gets it out." 

"I am nearly finished, then we can proceed with the rest of the investigation," said Spock, lining up for another shot. "Perhaps you should see if the good doctor had made arrangements for alternate lodgings."

"You read my mind, Spock," Kirk grinned. "I was just about to do that." 

Spock sighed. "Please do try to be considerate, Jim. Flirting is usually unwelcome in these circumstances."

"Now, where in the world would you get that idea, Spock?" Jim looked as clueless and innocent as he could. "Me, flirt? I am always the picture of straight-to-the-point professionalism."

Spock squeezed his eyes shut and counted to thirty in Vulcan, which was his version of praying for patience when Jim was being difficult. Jim lived to drive his partner crazy. It wasn't easy to get a rise out of a Vulcan, but he had perfected the art. With a satisfied grin he strode around to the front door and politely knocked. 

Lena answered it looking very DONE.

"You finished yet?" She asked abruptly.

"For now," he replied smoothly, seeing her agitation. This would require tact and diplomacy, something he wasn't known for, but was very capable of when he wanted to.

"I talked to my boss," she said suddenly, looking sad again, "He's devastated. Flying up here on the next plane. I hope you have a decent motel around here. We're both going to need it." 

"We do, but if you're be sticking around for more than a couple nights, your back will start protesting. Hard mattresses." Kirk felt the need to be honest about the flaws, much as he loved the town. "I know some people who have a spare room they'd be glad to rent. We're a friendly bunch."

"I'm sure you are," Lena drawled, "but I'll try the motel first." 

"Okay." Jim shrugged. "It's your back. You ready to go?"

"Yes," she sighed, jerking her thumb toward two suitcases and a duffle bag. "Such a shame. Nice guy, nice little farmhouse. I must have brought bad karma with me or something. I thought I'd left it behind in Atlanta." 

Kirk helped her haul the suitcases to her car, wondering what had caused her so much stress. "I wouldn't think bad karma would want to hang around you, Bones. You'd scare it away with your awesome ferocity."

"I'm glad you find me intimidating, but why the heck did you call me Bones?" Her eyebrow rose as she unlocked the car and stuffed her bags in the trunk.

"Because you said your bones were tired," Kirk reasoned and nearly tripped over a loose piece of gravel. "Whoa! I forgot he had this done. Must have been recent. It used to be a plain ole dirt drive," he muttered, regaining his footing. The long driveway was covered with a layer of rock that hadn't settled yet.

"He just had it done last week. Before that, you would probably have been able to get some sort of trail from the murderer since it was bare dirt," Lena added, trying to be helpful.

Kirk frowned. "It can't be a coincidence that this happened conveniently right after the drive was done," he reasoned to his partner, who had finished his task and was carrying his equipment to the patrol car. "Even when the house was empty, he was out here frequently fixing things. If would have made more sense to kill him then with less chance of a witness. So it was someone who knew A. That he'd he'd put stone down, and B. The exact time when he would be there when the doctor wasn't. This was carefully planned, Spock."

"And by an individual who knew him well enough to know his habits," added the Vulcan. 

"In this town, where everybody knows everybody's business, that could be any number of people," Kirk said wearily. "Let's go get started on narrowing down the list. You need directions to the motel, Bones?"

"I'm pretty sure I've driven past it a few times, detective Kirk, but if I get confused, I'll ask for help." 

Lena sounded like she was talking to a toddler, causing Jim to wonder what was WITH that woman. He gave her his number if she thought of anything pertaining to the case, but he did not ask her to call him Jim. It really was good to keep himself strictly to business, he decided. He glowered a bit at the red Focus as it disappeared down the road. He didn't know which mystery was harder: Archer's murder or Dr. Lena McCoy.


	3. A Mayor and a Mother

Lena McCoy drove off, satisfied with having put the brat in his place. She didn't have much patience with men these days, especially if they were the pretty type who hit on everything that moved. Fool me once, shame on you, Fool me twice, shame on me was her constantly repeated mantra since her ex had turned out to be a jerk. 

As she parked in front of the Enterprise Cafe after checking in at the motel, she wondered how long it would take for the story to spread that the visitor had found Archer's dead body. They might view her with suspicion instead of the friendly welcome she had been used to.

"Hello again, Doctor McCoy!" Called Gaila cheerily when she walked in. "Back so soon?" 

"Yeah," she smiled at the cheery waitress. "There's been a....complication with my nice, peaceful, vacation and I'm going to figure out a plan B over your fabulous coffee."

"Oh, dear," Gaila sighed, looking worried. "It wasn't the water heater again, was it? Scotty's had to fix that thing for Jon more than once the last couple years." 

If only, thought Lena, trying not to cringe at the mental image of poor Archer dead flashed through her mind.

"No, nothing like that," she managed. "I'll just find a quiet spot to hang out."

"Okay, hon. I'll get your coffee in a jiffy." Gaila practically danced away, her red curls bouncing behind her. 

Lena sighed as she sank into an inconspicuous booth in the corner. She wracked her brain over and over, trying to think of anything about Archer that had indicated he was worried or uneasy. All he'd said was "I'll be by this morning to do some maintenance work, should be done by the time you're back." 

She didn't know him well enough to be able to detect any deeply hidden anxieties not could she imagine the man having any enemies. Possibly it was someone from his military days? She was so deep in thought, she barely noticed Gaila delivering her coffee, nice and black like she wanted. No fancy, shmancy, sugar-laiden crap for her, thank you very much. 

She felt her ruffled spirits begin to settle down as she sipped the strong brew. Scotty was the best, she thought. His peach pie was pretty good, too. The sandwiches though, were sublime. The turkey club was her favorite. Right now, her mind wasn't on food, though.

As she pondered how long she'd be stuck here and wondered if Kirk knew what he was doing (seriously, he looked like he was fresh out of cop school), she was approached by a stranger.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" She asked warily, hoping it wasn't a small town reporter wanting to grill her. The middle-aged blonde woman smiled in a friendly fashion, though stress clearly marked her face. Lena guessed she'd heard the news.

"I'm sorry to intrude, Doctor," she spoke quietly, "I'm Winona and I work with the mayor at city hall. Mayor Pike would like to talk with you, if you have a moment. We're stunned about Jonathan and he'd like to make sure you're all right. I'm very sorry your visit was disturbed like this. It's normally a very peaceful town." 

Lena figured it was coming eventually. Jon's friend deserved to know what happened.

"Sure, I'll talk to him, "she said carefully," but I probably can't tell you much without getting in trouble with the police." 

Winona relaxed and smiled a bit. "Don't worry about that. I'm retired from the force and I know people still there. We won't disturb the investigation." 

Lena relaxed a bit. "Good. I don't need to give Detective Kirk any more reason to be annoying," She snarked, still aggravated at the man.

Winona suddenly burst out laughing. There was something familiar about her when she laughed: the way her eyes crinkled at the edges with mirth and the near-snort noises that resulted.

"You're not the first to say that", Winona said when she contained herself. "Jimmy has that effect on people. I love my son to pieces, but he's a little sh--brat sometimes." 

Lena chuckled at the way Winona corrected herself then suddenly flushed. She was talking to the detective's own mother. Good thing she hadn't used her own more.....descriptive language of her impressions of Jim. She was embarrassed enough as it was. 

"Jim's your son?", she squeaked out at last. "There I go, putting my giant foot in my mouth again." 

Winona waved her stammered apology away. "You're fine, Doctor. Jim tends to come on too strong, especially when he meets a pretty lady."

"I gathered that much when he ogled me in the grocery store," Lena remarked dryly. "You want me to come with you now? I'm settled at the motel, so I guess I'm ready whenever the mayor is." 

"It's just a couple blocks down street," said Winona. "You can follow me. Chris is so upset about this, he's pretty much canceled every non-crucial appointment today."

"Poor guy. Such an awful thing to happen." Lena stood up, left her payment on the counter and followed Winona Kirk out the door. 

A few minutes later, they entered a stately stone building in the heart of downtown Riverside. It had a elegant interior decorated with shades of brown and blue and plenty of leather chairs scattered about. Winona showed Lena to the office where a receptionist looked up as they entered. 

"Hi, Janice. Is the mayor available?"

"He's meeting with Jim, but he told me to tell you feel free to interrupt." The blonde assistant relayed these instructions with a nod to the closed inner door.

Winona nodded and boldly knocked on the door. 

"I've brought our guest, Mr. Mayor."

Lena heard a muffled "come in, then" and a chair scooted backwards as if someone got up to go. They entered the room just as a tired-looking Kirk emerged. He acknowledged his mom briefly, but only said a distracted "hey, Bones" to Lena. Good, she thought, the boy had settled down to do his job. 

The mayor was sitting at his desk, a nice-looking grey haired man in his fifties, she guessed. He stood up and held out a hand.

"Doctor McCoy, thank you for coming. I'm sorry your vacation was disturbed like this."

Lena shook his hand, feeling sympathy for the man whose world had just been rocked.

"Not nearly as sorry as I am for your loss, Mr. Mayor. Jonathan was a very kind man." 

His face wrinkled in a weak smile. "Thank you. He was. We appreciate your cooperation in this. Officer Kirk says you've been very forthcoming with him and Officer Spock." "Well, I want to see the scum that did this brought to justice, sir," Lena said honestly. "And I plan on sticking around to help it happen."


	4. Trip to the morgue

Kirk left the meeting with mayor Pike rather distracted over the murder mess and the pretty, aggravating Doctor. Looks like Lena had met his mom. Oh, joy. She'd probably tell embarrassing stories and further lower the opinion Lena had of him. Not that Jim was bothered (or so he told himself). He had a case to solve.

The detective made haste to the morgue to see what Carol had found out from the body. The two of them were like brother and sister, contrary to the rumors that occasionally had them in a sizzling relationship. Jim knew people were desperate for him to have a girlfriend or boyfriend to gossip about, but he enjoyed faking them out. It was tough to have a stable relationship in his profession. Plus, he really did have a rascally streak in him.

"Has the world's best ME got any clues for me?" Jim asked, approaching Carol in the lab.

Her blonde head bobbed up from the object she was examining as he approached. "I wondered when you'd be dropping by," she said. "I found this near the entrance wound." 

She held out what looked like a coin or medallion. The shiny gold was smeared with blood, obscuring the etchings on its surface. It wasn't a language Kirk recognized.

"Interesting," he said finally. "Maybe something he picked up in his travels?" He speculated.

"Possibly, but the location suggests it was deliberately left there." Carol moved back to the body on the table, pointing to the hole in Archer's chest. Kirk swallowed hard. He'd never get used to this part of the job.

"So it was the shot that killed him?" He asked after a minute of silent respect for the man who'd been a pillar of his community.

Carol nodded. "Yes. The head wounds were inflicted afterwards. The murderer had a lot of pent up rage, I'd assume." She pulled the cover back over the deceased. "I've sent the bullet over to the lab and this coin will soon join it. Find anything new?" 

"Not yet," Kirk admitted. "I'd be grateful if you could narrow down what was used to pulverize his skull this way. Whoever did this left nothing behind--except this mysterious coin." 

"It appears to be an axe type of tool," Carol explained, "but a much longer blade. Spock might know. He's good at finding murder weapons."

Jim smiled. Spock loved researching various weapons and instruments and the marks they could leave on a victim. He sometimes wondered why the Vulcan hadn't just gone for forensic science instead of becoming a cop. 

"By the way, I heard you met the mysterious visiting Doctor," Carol spoke up slyly. "Gaila says she's been in the cafe and you turned up grouchy because she shut you down."

Jim inwardly groaned. That's what he got for confiding in Gaila. She just couldn't keep anything secret.

"Yes, I met Dr. McCoy," he sighed grudgingly, "and yes she totally froze me out. I can't understand why she feels the need to talk down to me like I'm five!! You'd think she was fifty rather than thirty, the way she acts." 

"Ooh! Someone's pride has been wounded. Finally, a girl who doesn't fall at your feet! I've got to meet her." Carol sounded gleeful now.

"Thanks for the support," Jim muttered, shooting her a glower under his thick brows.

"Aww, Jim, she soothed, "You know a little rejection isn't going to kill you. Maybe she's had a bad time with men and it makes her wary. She's here to get away from stress, right?" 

Jim ceded the point. "Yes. But it found her anyway. Carol, she's the one who was renting from Archer."

Carol visibly winced. "Oh, dear. Poor thing. What a nasty surprise. Does she have a place to stay?"

"She got a room at the motel for now," Jim said, "I'm hoping she'll see reason and take Mom up on her offer to stay at her place. Plenty of room there, that's for sure." 

Jim knew his Mom would soon offer up the spare bedroom. They both knew Lena would discover the poor mattress quality eventually. Plus, the rate was a much better deal. Winona continued to live on the old Kirk house, even though her boys were long gone and the property was a lot to maintain. 

Jim had tried to convince her to get a nice little place closer to town, but she'd always refused. He'd finally given up when he realized it was her special link to George, his late father. They'd lived there as newlyweds and the place was full of memories she wasn't ready to move away from. 

"Well, thanks for your time, Carol. Let me know what else you find." She grabbed his shoulder as he turned for the door.

"I will, Jim, and I hope you solve this, but if you will take a little advice, just try to be friends with Lena. Get to know her as a person, without putting on your playboy facade. The real Jim Kirk is so much more attractive." 

Jim headed back to the station, thinking about what she'd said. He really didn't consider himself that big of a catch, actually. He'd automatically reverted to the shallow flirt mode so much it had become a habit for him. There were reasons behind that that he'd never shared with anyone other than Spock. It was just easier to keep things casual. He didn't even understand why Lena's snub irked him so. 

When he arrived back at the station, he was plunged into reports and paperwork. Lieutenants Hikaru Sulu and Nyota Uhura had just come off a patrol and were peppering Spock with questions. He threw in his tidbits about the coin and the driveway and left them to their speculating. Jim could practically see the gears whirring in Spock's logical brain.


	5. Not all that Bad

Lena found herself the center of Riverside attention once news of Archer's death and where it happened began to spread around town. She'd had a good conversation with the mayor, who, as it turned out, was also acquainted with Dr. Boyce and was glad to hear he was on his way. The motel room was nice--for the first few days. Then she began to understand what Jim meant. The mattress WAS rather hard. Also, she was becoming a target of curiosity and a little suspicion whenever she left the place. Maybe she shouldn't have turned down Winona's friendly offer after all. She'd found herself really liking Jim's mom, having quickly seen where Jim got his wit and good looks from. Too bad he didn't have the class his mother had oozed in her conversation with Lena. She'd ended up telling Winona about her recent ugly divorce and the stress at work that had led to her need to get away. 

Phil Boyce arrived four days after Jon's death, looking worn and troubled when Lena met him at the motel with a friendly hug.

"Glad you could make it, boss," she said warmly, tugging one of his bags out of his grasp. 

"They figure out who did it yet?" He asked, after thoroughly questioning her about her own safety.

"No," sighed Lena. "They have this super young hotshot detective working the case and I've stayed away because he rubs me the wrong way." 

Boyce suddenly smiled understandingly. "Yep. Kirk has a way of doing that. But he really is brilliant. Youngest detective on the force." 

Lena gaped at her boss in surprise. "You've met him before?" 

"Of course. The mayor and I go way back and he's always talking about his young protege. I got to know him a few years back when I visited Chris and Jon. Chris views him as a son, albeit a troublesome one." He sighed. "Speaking of Chris, I should probably get up to see him. Mind hauling me?" Lena was happy to oblige. 

They met the mayor at his home, a cozy old two-story in the outer reaches of the town. Lena was startled to realize it was next door to the old Kirk place, which was sounding better and better all the time. She imagined her ex-husband turning up his nose at the "Midwest hicks" as he would refer to anyone from that region. Joe really had an elitist attitude about him that he'd managed to hide for a while, but reared its ugly head after their marriage. He had moved away to New York as soon as he could after they split up. She shook her head to clear the bitter memories and was annoyed when Joe's face was replaced by a blue-eyed cop.

Pike was thrilled to see his old friend and welcomed them both enthusiastically.

"Phil! You old dog! How've you been? It's been way too long since I beheld your ugly mug." 

"Thanks, pal," replied Boyce dryly, shaking his buddy's hand. "It's good to see you too. Sorry it's under these kind of circumstances."

Pike sobered quickly. "Yes," he sighed. "Come on in, guys. I've got dinner on the grill and Kirk is guarding it. I don't dare leave him unsupervised with steak for more than a few minutes."

Lena was slightly disgruntled over having to socialize with Jim Kirk again, but she'd just have to deal with it. 

They passed through the house and ended up on the back deck, where a jeans-clad Kirk was standing in front of the grill. Well, he cut a nice figure, she admitted to herself. Man could really wear those jeans. He turned around at their approach. 

"Hello, doctors. You're just in time for some lovely rib eyes," he proclaimed proudly. The smell made Lena's mouth water, but she refused to show any interest.

"Jim! How's Riverside's finest doing?" 

Jim grinned his annoying grin again. "Not too bad, Phil. I wish we could get this case solved faster." 

Boyce nodded, a sober expression on his face as he was reminded of why they were there. "I've got confidence you'll figure it out. Chris doesn't continually brag about you for nothing."

Jim actually flushed a bit, Lena noted in surprise. She'd expected him to beat his chest and act like an ape.

"Yes, well. I can be a pain in the ass too, isn't that right, Dr. McCoy?" He suddenly turned to Lena, pinning her with that intense blue stare. 

Taken aback, she only muttered "Well, at least you admit it," and turned pink. 

Boyce and Pike suddenly looked at the two of them more closely. "I see Jim's already tried his charm on you and it clearly failed," said Phil amusedly.

Lena snorted. Jim glowered. "Awww, he's not so bad, Phil. Once you get him to cut out the flirting crap, he's a decent guy. Was real nice to me after.....well....the discovery."

She wrinkled her nose a bit at the memory of the gory scene. Detective Kirk looked surprised that she'd sort of defended him and he raised an eyebrow at her quizzically. Thankfully, Winona arrived to distract them from awkward topics for a while. 

They enjoyed their steak dinner and quietly discussed memories of Archer and the plans for his memorial service. Jim was quiet and pretty tactful, though she still caught him stealing a quick glance at her every now and then.

Winona caught her attention when the men were off on another guy tangent. "So, Lena, you ready to reconsider my offer yet?" 

She asked. Lena polished off her steak before she answered. "I hate to admit it, but Jim was right. Those beds are hard on my old bones. So, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I think I'll take you up on my that." 

Winona grinned. "No trouble at all." 

Jim was talking about the case now and Lena strained to pick up tidbits. ..."Spock said the coin I found on Jon was definitely Romulan. So, it looks like someone remembers what you guys did over there and wants a little payback. The weapon appears to be foreign as well, though I have no clue how a Romulan could slip in and out of here without being noticed." 

Pike and Boyce looked very serious now and Winona turned pale.

"Romulans?" She questioned, voice suddenly tight. "Haven't they caused us enough problems?"

Jim laid a calming hand on his mother's arm. "I'm not sure it was, yet, Mom. But it appears to be connected to the Romulan War mess. I'd respectfully suggest you two watch your backs for a while."

Boyce nodded. "Point taken, Jim."

Lena was confused. "Mind explaining what this is about, Detective?" She asked bluntly.

Jim glanced at his mother, who nodded and he went on to explain. 

"Almost thirty years ago, Chris, Phil, and my dad, George were serving in the army when a group of rogue Romulans were trying to eradicate the Vulcans and we sent troops to help. My dad was killed saving his unit from an ambush, and Chris and Jon ended up being part of the final stand that took out their crazy leader Nero and ended the conflict. It's a possibility that one of his remaining followers wants payback." 

"Wow", muttered Lena. "That's scary. And you never met your dad?"

"Nope," Jim said matter-of-factly. "I was born the day he died." 

So Jim's life wasn't as rosy as she'd thought. He must have been a handful as a child.

"I can't even imagine how you managed him alone," she said to Winona after a minute of silence. Pike laughed. Winona half-smiled. 

"Oh, it wasn't easy. Chris helped out quite a bit when things were rocky. Gave him some tough love, so to speak."

"Sure did," Jim added ruefully. "Asked me if I really wanted to spend my life being a genius level repeat offender. Dared me to do better."

He looked fondly at his mother.

Lena decided right then and there she'd been a little harsh with Jim. A guy who loves his mother so much couldn't be ALL that bad. She told him so just before they left that night. Surprisingly, Jim turned an adorable shade of pink and smiled bashfully.

"I have my moments, but family means the world to me," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I was an ass. You can call me Jim." "And you can call me Lena, or whatever that infernal nickname is," she replied with a resigned face. "I'm not letting some creep scare me out of town, so you'd better get busy and find the perp." Jim stood up straighter, looking her square in the eye. "I'll do my very best, Bones. Friends?" He held out his hand, which Lena shook thoroughly. "Friends." She confirmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw in a fic where Mark Harmon is used for Phil Boyce's image. I'm going with that too.


	6. The Way To Jim's Heart Is through His Stomach

Jim was on patrol with Spock the next day and deeply puzzled over both the case and a certain Doctor. He wanted to figure out what made her tick. She had a razor-sharp wit and a way about her that fascinated Kirk. 

But right now he had to focus on stopping a homicidal, possibly crazed Romulan before anybody else died. He and Spock were headed to interview the employees of the company that redid Archer's driveway.

"They don't happen to have any Romulans working for them?" He asked his partner hopefully. 

"I do not believe so," replied Spock. "However, the Romulan may have connections inside and it would do well to thoroughly question them about any suspicious visitors." 

Their interviews only turned up that some guy named Allen had inquired after a job with them not long before the Archer driveway project. He was described as being a big bald man with weird scars on his face. When asked if he had shown up again, they all were positive he hadn't. Jim began to believe they might be onto something and he told Spock so as they left the place. 

"It could be promising," The Vulcan answered cautiously. "The way the scars were described could be the site of tattoos he had removed. In addition, the man's large size and lack of hair are Romulan traits. The ears, though, were normal, the witnesses believe."

Jim shrugged. "Could have had plastic surgery to blend in better. If this guy was consumed with hatred, he might be willing to sacrifice the pointy ears to get in unnoticed. We'll see what the security tape shows."

It didn't show much, beyond the fact the body type screamed Romulan and that "Allen" lacked one of the fingers on his left hand. Then they were pulled away to deal with a messy domestic dispute case, which involved way too much alcohol and several frightened children and a terrified mother. 

Jim always hated those cases as it reminded him painfully of an ugly part of his childhood. His Uncle Frank had watched Jim and Sam for Winona when she was working, but he had problems that he hid pretty well from everybody but the boys. After a painful beating, Jim had learned the fine art of hiding when Frank had had too much.  
He cuffed and stuffed the inebriated fool none too gently, thinking it was guys like him that made so many lives miserable. What problems did getting drunk ever solve? Sure hadn't solved his.

After he got off duty, he drove to his mother's place instead of his own. He told himself he was just going to make sure Lena was settled all right, but he knew he wanted to actually talk this time. 

"Knock, knock!" He called out as he slipped in the side door. Something smelled really good in there, so he followed his nose to the kitchen.

"It never fails. Bake a pie, Jim's radar goes off and he shows up, begging."

Winona and Lena were sitting around the dinner table eying Jim with amusement. Well, Winona was. Lena was ignoring him and blissfully enjoying her dinner.

"Hey, my baking-senses were tingling. Had to find out how you two were getting along," Jim said easily, enjoying the delicious aroma from the oven. "Is that Apple pie?" He asked, catching a whiff of fruit and cinnamon. 

"You bet it is, Jim," his mom answered him. "But you're not getting a taste unless you wash the grub off."

He made haste to do so. That was one of his mom's hard and fast rules: no eating while dirty. 

"And no guns at the dinner table either!" She called after him. (Jim had a bad habit of forgetting to take off his holster.)

"So Lena, how do you like the old homestead?" he asked her, taking a seat at the table. 

"It's very homey and relaxing. Your mom has great taste. I'm beginning to feel like a human being again," Lena answered.

Jim thought she already looked more perky. Her sleek brown hair was shiny and neat around her ears and she'd lost the tension in her shoulders. She wore an plain grey t shirt and jeans that looked very comfortable. He stole glances at her between bites of the most delicious pie he'd ever tasted. 

"Wow! This is incredible, Mom."

"Don't thank me," Winona demurred, "Mine isn't nearly this good. Lena made it." Jim turned to look at the doctor, who continued placidly eating, though her ears turned a bit red.

"You're amazing, Lena. My tastebuds just died and went to heaven. Wow. What other secret talents are you hiding?" 

"Nothing you need to know about, Kirk," she said with a wink. "I took up baking as form of stress relief. Winona here was kind to allow me use of the kitchen. This isn't even my specialty, but peaches aren't in season." She smiled at his blissful expression as he savored another bite. 

"You know, for a grown, responsible police officer, you sure can act like a little boy sometimes. Makes me feel old." Lena sounded highly amused. 

"Despite my twenty-eight years, I have lapses," Jim shrugged. "And you're not old, Lena. You can't be more than thirty." The dimples appeared again. 

"That's kind of you, Jim. But I'm thirty-four. There are days when it's more like forty." 

"I imagine so, with your high-stress job," put in Winona. "But like Jim said, you sure don't show it."

"You should have seen me right after the divorce," Lena scoffed. "I was a wreck and looked like a hag from the emotional beatings I took from Joe before we split. I barely tolerate men to this day. Except Boyce and..... Archer. Why is it the good ones always die?" 

Jim understood now why she was so hostile to his flirtations. That man had seriously hurt her. He was angry just thinking about someone tearing down an awesome person like Bones with vicious words.

I don't know, Lena," Winona was saying. "I've asked myself the same thing many times. But rest assured, there are a few good men left in Riverside. Our mayor is definitely one of them." 

"Yes," added Jim enthusiastically. "If it wasn't for him, I'd be just like the drunken bum I arrested this afternoon."

"So you weren't always a good little mamma's boy?" Lena's mouth turned up in a teasing grin. 

"You better believe I wasn't," Jim confirmed with a snort, "Spent my late teens and early twenties drinking, carousing, and being an idiot. One day, Pike got a hold of me and asked me if I really liked my life as a genius level repeat offender. Dared me to do better than my dad. That's not really possible, but I do what I can." 

He sighed. "I'm sorry about what you went through with your ex. Guy sounds like a real piece of......work." He caught himself just in time, but Lena knew what he meant and grinned at him.

"Yes. He's exactly what you're thinking," she said calmly, rising to carry her dishes to the sink. "Now, if ya'll excuse me I'm gonna clean up here and hit the sack. Nice talking to you, Jim." He stood automatically and carried his plate away as well.

"Sure, thing, Bones. Have a nice night." 

He stared after her as she walked toward the stairs, pretending he wasn't admiring how nice her curves looked in those jeans. He turned away and whistled innocently when Winona cleared her throat. Jim was hooked all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my headcanon, fem! Bones is rather curvy. I'm not going for Barbie here, but more of the pear shape, cause all shapes are beautiful :) :)


	7. Near death at a Funeral

The day of the memorial service, Lena was nervous and flustered. She was Nervous because she was afraid for Pike and Boyce's safety if the murderer returned to complete his revenge on Archer's former company and Flustered because she hadn't exactly packed proper funeral garb, not expecting to attend one on what was supposed to be a relaxing get away. After careful consideration, she shook her head at her small wardrobe and headed out in her Focus to find a store. Clothes shopping was always tricky for her, not having the average figure. Joe had been more and more critical of it the longer they were together.

"Can't you just even things out a little? Spend some time on a treadmill?" He'd often asked.

She snorted derisively. What had she been thinking marrying him? After it was all over, she was a wreck, self-esteem shot to ribbons. 

She smiled to herself thinking of Jim, still in his uniform, eating the pie she made with a zeal that was delightful. Lena couldn't help but admit he'd made an attractive figure sitting there all in his navy blue uniform. It was nice to be appreciated a bit since she normally gave most of her stress baking results away. There was more to the young detective than met the eye, she decided. He obviously hadn't led the pampered, sheltered life she'd imagined when she first met him. Having Winona and Pike in his life had obviously prevented him from becoming another Joe, thank heaven for that. The world didn't need any more men like him. 

It took some searching, but she finally found some black dress pants and grey blouse that would be serviceable for the sad event. The sales clerk was friendly and chatted sadly about how Archer would be missed terribly and she didn't feel safe knowing that the murderer was still out there. 

As she dressed, a sense of foreboding began to grow and cause her nerves to stand on edge, so much so, she could barely choke down a few bites of lunch. On an impulse, she dug out a certain black bag and put it in the car. Just because she wasn't on duty didn't mean she couldn't be prepared. 

She followed the directions Winona had given her to the small chapel, just a bit late, but something was wrong. There was only a few people there, huddled in small groups outside. Lena grabbed her phone and saw three missed calls. She swore and jumped out of her car, grabbing her bag. The blare of an alarm sounded in the distance, confirming her suspicions. Several police emerged from the building and began urging the remaining people to leave. Lena recognized the pointy ears of Jim's partner and called out to him.

"Officer Spock!! What's going on? Does anyone need a doctor?" 

The Vulcan's head snapped toward her, a look of recognition visible. He approached her slowly, but purposefully. 

"Doctor McCoy, your assistance would indeed be helpful. Both the mayor and Officer Kirk have been wounded by an unknown assailant. Mrs. Kirk is most anxious about you as well, not being able to receive communications from you." Lena grimaced. 

"I forgot to turn my phone off vibrate, so I didn't hear it. Is the mayor okay?"

"He will recover," said the Vulcan evenly, "I am afraid that it was Kirk who took the worst of the shot."

He looked even more serious and Lena was really worried now. She practically ran past him to get to the building and Jim. 

The sight that met her was devastating. In front of the doors, Jim was sprawled on the ground, his crisp dress uniform dark with blood as Phil Boyce frantically tried to keep him alive. Another trail of blood led to the mayor, who was sitting up, his bloody leg being attended to by a blonde woman Lena didn't know. 

Winona met her with a frantic embrace. "Lena!! Thank goodness. I was afraid you'd been targeted, too."

"I'm so sorry," Lena assured her, "I didn't hear my phone. I got busy trying to find some funeral appropriate garb and just never looked at it. What happened?"

Winona's eyes were red and she sniffled looking at her severely injured son. "Jim shoved Chris to the floor and took a bullet to the side. It went through him and nicked Chris's leg."

"Sniper?" Lena asked, kneeling beside the mayor. 

"Yes," Pike managed, through gritted teeth. "Nailed us as we walked through the doors. Don't worry about me. Help Jim. It's bad."

Seeing his injury did not appear to be life threatening, she turned her attention to Jim, kneeling down to get a look at the carnage. 

It was ugly. He was ghostly white and splattered with red. His insides were a mess, Lena observed, doing what she could to help Boyce stem the blood flow from his lower abdomen. Major surgery would be required to put his intestines back together very carefully. She hoped the town had someone skilled enough to do the job because in the state Jim was in, he probably wouldn't make it long enough to be life-flighted anywhere.

"Phil, he's dying," she said carefully.

"Not on my watch," her boss replied grimly, continuing his efforts to stem the blood flow. 

"Jim, you hear that?" She whispered, squeezing Jim's hand. "You are Not Allowed To Die. Understand?" 

"Got it, Bones. Mm....too stubborn, anyway." Jim's weak voice made her want to sob, especially when he looked at her like that. "So pretty, Lena......good look on you. If I survive, will you go.....on a date with me?"

Glazed blue eyes admired and begged her the best they could and she couldn't find the heart to be annoyed with him; It was so like Jim to flirt even while on death's door. Lena could hardly speak past the lump in her throat. She managed to mumble, "dammit, Jim. I'm a doctor, not a cougar." 

He only grinned weakly. "Silly Bones. That's just.....BS. You don't resemble a cougar.......at all. Age.....is just a number. Anyway, I asked you." 

There he went again, being sweet. Tears welled up in her eyes, as he lay there in a pool of his own blood, fists clenched in pain. Thankfully, the paramedics burst in before she could lose her composure anymore. 

***********  
Outside, Spock and his fellow officers were carefully going over the scene with a fine toothed comb, the Vulcan searching for a possible perch for the shooter and keeping a sharp eye out for a return attempt. Despite his cool demeanor, anyone who knew Jim's partner knew that his extreme focus was hiding his worry and rage. Lieutenant Nyota Uhura took one look at her colleague's countenance and thought the mysterious gunman who'd shot at their friends didn't stand a chance if Spock got a hold of him. Vulcans who looked so intense and tight-lipped didn't mess around. Everyone was silent as the stretcher was guided into the ambulance and the vehicle took off for the hospital. Only a few limp bouquets dropped by fleeing citizens showed evidence of why they had all gathered there in the first place.


	8. Jim Pulls Through and Succeeds in One Of His Goals

After the ambulance ride, Jim was only aware of those two things: pain and growing darkness. He struggled to keep remembering Lena's face telling him he wasn't allowed to die. He tried, but he was just too tired to keep it up. It hurt so much. Something wet trickled out of his mouth, probably blood. He tried to wipe it away, but couldn't move. Distantly, he heard shouts above him as the emergency staff struggled to keep him alive. Well, if keeping Pike alive meant he died, so be it. 

*************

He didn't count on the fierce tenacity and skills of the three doctors who worked tirelessly for hours to save his life and put him back together. Lena assisted Dr. Boyce and the local doctor, Geoff M'Benga in the long, delicate surgery. They nearly lost him on the operating table, but Lena practically willed that heart to beat again. 

When he was stable and out of surgery at last, she sat down heavily. 

"That bullet should have killed him instantly, Phil. I don't know how he even made it to the hospital." 

"If Jim had been the intended target, it would have been instant death, but his quick instincts changed everything," Boyce explained, "As he knocked Chris out of the way, the bullet ended up going through his lower torso instead of anyone's brain."

She shuddered at that thought. "Who's with Winona?" She asked suddenly, hoping Jim's mom had someone to keep her company during the last eight or so hours they'd been working on her son.

"She's still here with Chris. This has brought back really bad memories for both of them."

"Understandably," Lena said grimly. She put on a clean scrub top before she went to update Winona on her son's condition. No one wanted to see a doctor covered in blood after all. She'd never expected to be thrust into this role on a vacation, but the shortage of surgeons had her and Boyce both volunteering to help. It wasn't in her nature to stand idly by, if she could save a life. 

Winona was in the waiting room with the pretty waitress, Gaila, from the cafe. Both of them looked like they had been crying and stood up quickly when Lena entered the room, fear flickering over Winona's face.

"How's Jim?" Gaila spoke up, seeing as her friend couldn't.

"He's hanging in there," Lena reported. "Critical, but stable. Minus one kidney, but we took our time with the repair job so he should pull through. We'll just have to be very vigilant about watching for infection. I'm not going to hide that he tried to die on us once, but there was no way we were going to let that happen. Kirks are stubborn, but so are McCoys." 

Winona was smiling tearfully. "I'm thankful for that, Lena. Your presence here in Riverside ended up saving his life. I'm sorry we ruined your vacation, though."

"Don't be," Lena said quickly, "I'm never going to regret saving a life. Riverside has already done me a world of good. It's helping remind me why I wanted to become a doctor in the first place." She smoothly deflected away from herself with a change in topic. "How's the mayor doing?" 

"Surgery went well," Winona sighed, "Dr. Adams told me he'll recover, albeit with lots of physical therapy. They've assigned an officer to guard his room in case the gunman should try again. I wish they could just find the guy and end this...... terror."

"Me, too." Lena agreed. She went back to to check on Jim in recovery, needing to see him breathing to remind herself he was still with them. 

*********

Jim woke up ten hours later, groggy and in pain. He head was fuzzy and he felt weirdly achy and high.

_Surgery. Bullet. Chris._

He looked around anxiously, wiggling his fingers to make sure they still moved. They worked and so did his toes.

_Good. I'm not paralyzed._

Nurse Chapel bustled into the room as grew more alert, giving her usual cheerful smile.

"Hello, Jim. I see you're awake. Do you remember what happened?" She checked his monitors and adjusted his IV carefully. 

"Shot. Pike. Hurt like crap," Jim croaked, voice raspy and dry.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Took three docs to put you back together. But you saved the mayor's life and the whole town's ready to throw you a parade when you get out of here." Jim made a face.

"No....parade...til I catch the murderer," he managed. "Where's Bones?" 

"I'm not sure who you mean, Jim," Christine said while feeding him a sliver of ice. He sucked on it gratefully, the coolness relieving his hoarse throat. "Doctor McCoy," he said when he'd finished it and she showed recognition this time.

"Oh, Lena took your mom home for the night. They were both exhausted: Winona from worrying about you and Lena from working her tail off to save you." Jim was touched and concerned at the same time.

"She broke her vacation to put me back together?" 

"So did Dr. Boyce. It was a very tricky surgery and you weren't going to make it to a bigger hospital, so they offered their services to Dr. M'Benga. It turned out to be a good thing, because you were a mess inside."

"Everyone knows I'm a mess, Chapel," Jim slurred sleepily. "Clearly established fact." He was really tired still and his eyes wouldn't stay open anymore.

Before he drifted off again, he heard her say, "You're OUR mess, Jim. And a pretty brave one, too. Sleep tight." 

The next time he woke up, two familiar female faces were watching him like a hawk.

"Hey, Mom. Hey, Bones," He whispered, attempting a smile.

"Jimmy, honey, you scared me to death. Are you determined to take ten years off my life?" She held Jim's hand tightly as she drank in the sigh of him, as if afraid Death would snatch him back.

"Not on purpose. I just acted on instinct. No way was I gonna let the mayor get killed." 

"Just like your father," she sighed, leaning over to kiss Jim's forehead. "Though I'm afraid you're going to miss out on catching the gunman. Lena says you'll be here quite a while." Jim looked at the doctor, who was carefully observing him. The emotion in her eyes, though, told him it wasn't completely clinical.

"I figured that much. Well, Spock will get that creep; he never rests until he's solved a case. Thanks for saving me, Bones. I owe you one. And those navy scrubs look really good on you." 

Lena shook her head and blushed a bit. Jim just wouldn't quit, even when he looked like death warmed over.

"I couldn't leave a fine, upstanding, young citizen like you to die, now, could I?" she said lightly, pretending she wasn't kind of flattered by the last remark. "Believe it or not, I like you Jim." 

That brought out a huge grin from Jim. "Course you do, Bones. What's not to like?" 

"Well, your ego, for one," she drawled. "I've heard a lot from Chris. He's doing pretty well after his surgery. Said to tell you to behave and get better."

Jim could just hear Chris saying that and he smiled again. "I make no promises to behave, but I'm going to get better, if only to convince you to go out with me."

"Oh, Jim," Winona sighed. Lena flushed even deeper. "I still don't understand why you're interested in me, but despite my better judgment I'll agree to one date" (She held up a finger) "when you're out of the hospital. Who knows, the planning might keep you from going stir crazy and trying something stupid."  
Jim raised his free hand slightly in triumph. "At last!" He still hurt like heck, but now he had something to look forward to.


	9. Recovery

Lena was relieved when Jim was moved from ICU to a regular room. Not only did it mean he was healing well, but also he could have visitors and he'd quit being annoying. He kept bugging her about the case and she could only tell him the general rumors she'd heard which weren't much. Spock had found that the bullet from the funeral shooting came from a very high-powered rifle no common civilian would have legal access to, lending support for the angry, revenge-seeking Romulan theory. They couldn't find said Romulan yet, though. 

When Lena came to visit Jim in his new room, she found he did, indeed, have visitors: specifically, a very pretty, slender blonde woman with the shiniest hair Lena had ever seen. Jim was smiling and joking and seemed to be greatly enjoying himself, which suddenly irritated her beyond all reason. Was she, Lena McCoy, jealous? Not possible. But she almost turned around and left before Jim saw her and called out.

"Bones! You came to see me finally. Come on in."

His affable face beamed at her again, smiling so big the crinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes. She reluctantly walked in, unable to fight his magnetic pull. 

"You being good, Jim?" She asked gruffly, eyeing him for signs of stress. He was still weak, but had a healthy color in his face and was as perky as he could be in his position. 

"I'm an absolute angel, Bones, and you know it," he said cheekily, grinning at her. "Just ask Carol."

"Who?" Lena asked, giving him the eyebrow.

"My friend, Dr. Carol Marcus," Jim introduced, motioning the blonde over. "She's a forensic pathologist and helps out on some of our cases. Carol, this is the woman who saved my life, Dr. Lena McCoy." 

"Pleased to meet you. Jim's been raving about you, Dr. McCoy." The graceful greeting soothed Lena's hackles and she shook the offered hand.

"He didn't tell me he had such classy friends, though," she replied, "Nice to meet you, too. I'm amazed we haven't run into each other before in this town."

"I work rather odd hours and stick pretty close to the lab," Carol admitted. "Jim does his best to drag me out every once in a while. We're very thankful for the work you did in saving his life." Lena shifted a bit awkwardly.

"It wasn't just me. It takes an army to keep this reckless guy alive. I can only imagine the stress he causes this place." Carol laughed. 

"You've hit the nail on the head, Dr. Jim being a Kirk and in a dangerous job leads to plenty of peril and grey hairs."

She ruffled Jim's hair fondly. "Now you're acting like my Mom" Jim griped, making a face.

"And I feel a lot of sympathy for that woman," Lena said calmly. "How you feeling, Jim?" She asked, trying unsuccessfully not to stare at the nice, muscular, freckled, arms that poked out of his hospital gown. 

"Frustrated and kind of sore, but you make everything better, Bones."

The way Jim spoke, which pure honesty and not a hint of suggestiveness, brought sudden tears to Lena's eyes, which she had to turn away to hide. No man had ever said anything that sweet to her and she wasn't used to getting compliments unless they were about her work.

"Are you okay? Did I say something wrong, Lena?" Jim asked worriedly. She cleared her throat and shook her head.

"No, Jim. You just.....caught me off guard, that's all. You keep doing that!!!" She sounded exasperated, but it was only a front. 

"He does have a way of doing that," Carol agreed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Jim, I've got to get back to work. Take care and don't flirt with the nurses, okay? They might get the wrong idea." With a peck on Jim's cheek and a wave to Lena, she was gone and Jim was shaking his head in amusement. 

"Carol's always been a bit of a whirlwind," he said fondly as she departed.

"Have you known each other awhile?" Lena asked, keeping her tone neutral. There was no way she'd let Jim think she was jealous; no way she'd give him room to gloat. 

"About six years, I think." Jim said, squinting a little bit. "And we did date for a little bit, but we're too much alike to work as a couple. Two whirlwinds equals big storm, but she's been a great friend and really helpful. You've got nothing to worry about, Bones." He grinned at her and winked. 

"Who says I'm worrying, Jim?" Lena said grumpily, pretending to thoroughly check his vitals on the monitor. "Just wanted to be clear. You're the one I'm interested in. Not Carol, and NOT the nurses. They're almost my mom's age, for pity's sake."

"Do you do have limits, then?" She asked, taking the time to feel his forehead. It was a little warm, but nothing to cause alarm.

"Yep. Contrary to my reputation, I do not want to have sex with everything that moves."

"Thank goodness," Lena said sarcastically. "That limits it to two-legged beings, then."

Jim guffawed and then winced. "Hey, Bones, that's not nice. You're not allowed to make me laugh right now." 

"Sorry, Jim." Lena wasn't quite as regretful as she should have been. "I'll try to keep my wisecracking to a minimum. My smart mouth gets away from me too much. Joe always said it was one of my many issues."

She critically looked at Jim's bandages to check that there wasn't any bleeding or seepage. (Not that she was his current doctor or anything, but it made her feel better all the same.)

When she looked back at him he was frowning a little. "He really did a number on you, didn't he? I am honestly embarrassed for my own gender right now." He sighed in frustration. "I've literally spilled my guts to you and on you, so feel free to do the same if you need to rant about him." Lena wrinkled her nose. 

"That's gross Jim, but I'm warning you It's a really, really, ugly story and I wish I'd had the good sense to leave long before I did. Emotional abuse. That's what it was and I always told myself it would get better, that he'd change. Well, apparently his only intent was to change me--make me into his image of the perfect Lena. Didn't work out too well. Then he blamed ME for failing to give him a son and things really went south. I up and left him three years ago and never looked back, but....." She trailed off. 

"The damage was already done?" Jim supplied. "Right." She confirmed. "Man." He plopped his head down on his pillow wearily. "I'm laid up so I can't track him down and punch his face in for doing that to someone as special as you are. He must be delusional or have a really small manhood."

"Jim!" Lena was half laughing, half blushing at his awkwardly adorable attempts to comfort as she cut him off. 

"You don't need to worry about him. He's not worth it. But I appreciate the sentiment." "Well," said Jim slyly, "I'll just have to expend my mental energy in planning how to make our date extra special, then, Bones. Because you ARE special."  
"You're hopeless, Jim," she sighed, but she was smiling to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Spock hunts Romulans


	10. Fast on her Feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back at last!! This has been hard, and not my best work, but I am determined to see it through to the end.

The delayed funeral for Archer went ahead, minus Kirk, Pike and Boyce. Pike was highly aggravated by his virtual seclusion, but no one wanted to lose the mayor, too, so he had to submit to living with a constant security guard until the police caught the gunman. 

Spock and his fellow officers had received a tip that there was a very odd character inhabiting a run-down apartment in a seedy part of town. Logically, it was very unlikely to be related to their case, but it was his duty to investigate. 

So here he was, along with Lieutenants Uhura and Sulu, banging on a door in the afternoon in a decidedly low class establishment. When nobody answered, they forced the door open and entered cautiously, weapons at the ready. 

It was a foul mess: clothing and food wrappers strewn everywhere, a hard hat tossed in a corner, and various tools laying around haphazardly.

"This hammer looks like it could have made the hole in Archer's skull," commented Sulu. 

Uhura had her camera out and was busily photographing possible evidence before Spock even said a word. 

There was now a 30.3 percent chance the former occupant of these premises was their suspect, Spock estimated. When searching the drawers, that percentage increased sharply with the discovery of several pictures: close ups of Pike and Archer. He felt a chill inside seeing a dark brown smear across Jonathan's picture. Had the murderer celebrated his kill by dripping the victim's own blood on the picture? Knowing what he did about Romulans, it made sense. 

"Bag these very carefully, Lieutenant." He ordered Sulu, "They must be tested for blood and other DNA." 

He wondered why there wasn't a photo of Boyce with the other two. Either the doctor was not a target after all, or the perpetrator had the third photo with him and was actively tracking him down for the kill. They hadn't found his assault rifle, either, after all. Spock realized their mistake and that a sudden change in plans was necessitated. He ordered them to continue processing and hurried back to his patrol car, just in time to hear sirens wailing and his radio flashing with an order for all units to the hospital. 

**********

Lena was really disgruntled right now. She'd came to visit Jim and ended up with a crazed Romulan holding a gun to her head! She seriously missed Atlanta right now.

"I don't care if you blow my brains out! I'm not giving out patient information!" She gritted out, sweat running down her forehead. 

He slammed her against the wall and wrapped his hand around her throat, squeezing steadily.

"Oh? And what if I decide to kill them instead?" He whispered menacingly. "I have been watching you and the young human son of scum together. You are fond of him, perhaps too fond?" He waved his weapon at Jim's unconscious figure. 

He'd only nerve pinched Jim, when the man had tried to get up to come to her aid, but Lena was terrified what he might do next. Jim had already almost died once and this terrifyingly strong psycho could undo her hard work in seconds. 

Trying to buy time to think up a plan, Lena croaked out, "who are you? I thought Nero was dead." 

"He is," hissed the tattooed figure, "I am Ayel and I come to avenge him. Now tell me where the filthy murderer Pike is or you all die." 

If only she was one of those super strong women in the movies who knew ten kinds of martial arts and could have the bad guy knocked out and tied up by the time the hero got there. But she was a doctor, not the Black Widow. If she could only get to a hypo sedative. 

Behind Ayel's back, Boyce had regained consciousness and was creeping up behind him slowly, clutching something which looked like the hypo she wished for. Lena was about to pass out from lack of oxygen and with one desperate last-ditch effort, kneed her assailant in the groin as hard as she could. If he could fight dirty, so could she.

Now, even big, tough, Romulans have sensitive areas and she nailed him where it hurt. He roared in rage and doubled over in pain just as the hypo hit him in the neck. In seconds he'd gone completely limp and Lena was crawling out from under his unconscious form. 

Seconds later, Spock burst in, weapon at the ready and stopped dead at the sight in front of him. 

"Hey, Spock," Lena gasped, "glad you could join us. You're gonna need some pretty strong cuffs for this dude." 

Jim sat up, rubbing his neck and groaning. "What did I miss?" He mumbled, wincing in pain as he tried to move. 

∞

"Stay still, Jim." Lena ordered. "We don't need you messing your organs up again. Phil, help me get him back in the bed." 

Together, they hauled Jim up and set him on the bed, scanning carefully for any damage. 

Spock and Uhura had restrained Ayel and he turned to the others. "You are not injured?" He asked the doctors.

"Bump on the noggin. I'll recover," said Phil.

"Choked a bit, but nothing that won't mend." Lena added.

"You were not the target after all?" Spock asked. "I found evidence that possibly suggested he was going to make an attempt on Boyce before Pike."

"Since I don't have a bullet in my brain, it's safe to assume otherwise," Said Phil, dryly. "He was trying to squeeze Chris's room number out of Lena, though." 

"How did you take him down?" Jim asked. "That is a mountain of a man right now." 

He stared at Ayel, who was being dragged away by four burly policemen. Lena grinned with vicious self-satisfaction. 

"I hit him where it hurts, Jim. Then when he was helpless with pain, Phil got him with the sedative. Sorry you missed out on the fun."

Jim stared and a slow grin started on his face, crinkling his eyes in that cute way he had.

"Whoa, Bones. Your awesomeness cannot be contained, can it? I think I'm in love." He smiled at her and clutched his heart dramatically. Despite the teasing tone, Lena melted a bit at Jim's words. "Infant," she grumped, with a smile, preparing a hypo of his pain meds. "Now lay still and behave so you'll be healed for that date you begged me for." Jim meekly obeyed, not even flinching for the hypo, puppy dog eyes following her wherever she went.


	11. Road to healing

Riverside breathed a collective sigh of relief after the mysterious murderer was reported as being in custody. Spock and Pike were busy dealing with clearing up the aftermath and Lena was being hailed as a heroine by Winona and Gaila and well, many people. She took to hiding away at Winona's place when she wasn't at the hospital due to being besieged by excited townsfolk. 

Jim was improving rapidly, though, and had begun to eat again, though he definitely wouldn't be having pie again for a while.

"Normally, I'd be complaining, but I'm too happy to have you alive and proud of your badassery to gripe," he said one afternoon, when Lena and Winona were updating him on all the happenings. 

Lena blushed. This praise stuff was very new to her and coming from Jim, it was very sweet. 

"Will they be letting me go, soon, Bones?" He asked pleadingly. Jim was sick of the hospital and Lena couldn't blame him. 

"Another couple of days yet, Jim." She told him reluctantly. "They want to get the pain down to a more manageable level before they send you home. You'll have a long list of rules to follow once you are released in order to make sure you don't overdo it. It might be wise to have a family member stay over the first couple nights with you. You don't seem the type to follow directions very well." 

She shot him a pointed look and Jim looked sheepish. "You know me too well, Bones. Before you, I didn't go to a doctor unless I was forced." 

"Your mom explained that to me," Lena chuckled. "She's hinted that It would be invaluable to your health if I stayed." 

"Oh, not just to my health, Bones" Jim said seriously, giving her a significant Look. "But I understand you probably want to high-tail it back to Atlanta after all the chaos around here. I'm sorry we ruined your Sabbatical." 

"Well, you can make it up to me on that date you're planning," she said boldly, "and besides, I'm going to keep in touch with your mother after I leave to make sure you don't go back to work one second too early." 

"Would I try that?" He asked innocently then chuckled at her glare. "Just kidding. Won't you keep in touch with me, too?" She sighed. 

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea, Jim. I don't know if I'm ready to jump into a relationship again and a long distance one at that." Seeing his face fall, she hastened to explain more clearly. "Don't get me wrong, Jim, you've made serious progress in changing my stance from 'Never Again' to 'Maybe Someday', but I want to think about this some more and you should carefully consider whether you really want to get involved with a middle-age, crabby, Doctor who's nothing like the pretty young things a man like you usually chases." 

Jim looked relieved, hopeful, sad, and irked all in the space of five seconds, adjusting his sheets as he concentrated on what she'd said. 

"Oh, Bones," he sighed at last. "I'm sorry you still feel that way, but you know I'll wait for you to be ready because I think you're absolutely worth it. Im not interested in those "pretty young things" as you call them. I'm going to keep telling you you're awesome and beautiful until you believe me. And if I only get the one date, well, I'll just have to make it memorable, because I don't want to forget you." 

He looked up at her with a determined expression that went straight to her jaded, scarred, heart and she relented somewhat. 

Whatever he was, Jim had a sincerity about him and maybe some long distance correspondence could be possible while she figured herself out. 

"Alright, Jim," she said at last. "Before I leave, we'll exchange e-mails. I don't want any dirty texts, so no phone numbers until you've proved you can behave." 

Jim looked slightly chastened, but also surprisingly grateful. 

"I'll take it, Bones. You can gripe about your day, I can send you funny stories about Chekov and his pet Yorkie or Scotty and his sandwiches. It'll be the start of a beautiful friendship." 

He grinned at her with those infuriatingly pretty eyes and Lena knew she was already half gone for him.


	12. The Date and The Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made myself cry writing this and it went extra long. Hope you like the main story finish! Epilogue to come.

When Jim was released from the hospital, half the town turned up to welcome him home (at least, his temporary home at the old Kirk place). He was hugged and kissed (especially by Gaila and Carol) and cried over too many times to count, Bones standing guard by his chair to keep people from overdoing it. He still felt annoyingly weak, but the pain was almost gone and he was eating foods that were more solid than liquid now. 

Mayor Pike, still on crutches, sat beside him, chatting good-naturedly with people and making both Jim and Lena blush with his praise. 

"The Police chief is ready to give you a medal, Kirk and I'm going to make sure Dr. McCoy gets a special thank-you for what she did." 

Lena looked slightly panicked at the thought of publicity.

"It wasn't just me, Mr. Mayor," she quickly informed him. "Phil stabbed him with the hypo to keep him down." 

"After you'd rendered him incapacitated enough for me to even get there," Phil put in. "You saved all our lives, Jim twice." 

She looked at Jim, who was beaming with pride. "See Bones? I told you you're a hero!" 

"Only because you're so busy trying to be one yourself, you almost got killed twice!" shot back Lena, folding her arms across her chest and giving Jim The Eyebrow. (It was known to cause interns and nurses to tremble in fear, it was so legendary.) Jim did not quail, however. In fact, he looked even more proud and a touch triumphant.

"You're right, Bones. I am a reckless fool when it comes to my family. I would do anything to protect the people I......care for."

The words were a bit of an understatement, but he wasn't going to make things more awkward for Lena. However, his tone of voice when he spoke the last two words was unmistakable and Lena squeezed his arm to show she understood. 

Winona was looking at the two of them very curiously and having a non-verbal discussion with Pike that involved raised eyebrows, smiles, and head shakes. Jim was amazed that she wasn't bugging him about it and he appreciated it, especially since he might not see Lena again after she left next week. He couldn't stand the thought and shoved it aside to accept Scotty's enthusiastic well-wishes. 

Dr. M'Benga put the kibosh on his grand date plans, unfortunately. Jim was healing well, but horseback riding was highly discouraged in his still recently repaired state. This caused a disgruntled Jim to complain to his Mom when Lena was out with Nyota and Gaila. 

"How am I supposed to leave a lasting impression when I can't do anything??!!" he griped. "It won't be special at all: just another dinner and a movie. Like that's going to be real memorable!" Jim snorted in disgust.

She would be gone in six days and he still was just able to walk steadily without tiring out. Anything more was pushing it. 

"Jimmy," Winona said gently, still feeling uneasy about how thin her son was, "You can have a memorable date even without doing something out of this world different. One of the best dates I had with your father was simply a picnic supper and stargazing. He knew most of the constellations and pointed them out to me. We sat and cuddled and talked about the future and what we were going to do to make Riverside great. I've never forgotten it. You can make Lena feel special without a lot of fuss and possible re-injury, it just takes creativity." 

Jim thought a lot about this as he got settled in his apartment again. (He promised to behave himself in order to go back to his comfy bachelor pad after only a couple nights at the farmhouse.) Finally, an idea, or rather a group of ideas, struck him and he set to work putting his plan into motion. 

That Friday, he went to pick up the doctor, hoping she would be okay with the unorthodox outing he had planned. It felt good to be driving again, especially in his street car, a sleek red Mustang that purred beautifully. 

"Hey, Bones." He said, somewhat shyly, when she opened the front door he'd been scolded for banging countless times as a kid.

Lena looked perfect in her dark jeans and simple button up shirt and Jim couldn't help but stare for a second.

"That's a really nice look, Bones. Brings out your eyes," he blurted, then inwardly scolded himself for being too cheesy. 

Lena, however, didn't seem to mind. In fact, she smiled.

"Why thank you, Jim. I figured it was the perfect compromise between formal and T-Shirt. I do hope the jeans are acceptable, because I got your blood all over my dress pants at the funeral." 

Jim grinned. "They're perfectly fine, Bones."

Oh, man. They were more than fine, he thought. They were extremely flattering to her curves and he gulped a little bit trying not to think thoughts......

"So, what have you got up your sleeve tonight, Jim?" she asked when he had gallantly assisted her into his car, which she'd been suitably impressed with. "I'd taken you for a Corvette man, Jim," she teased.

"My dad was" he explained, "But my loser uncle sold his vintage Vette out from under our noses while my mom was away on a business trip. I haven't been able to look at one since." 

Lena winced. "Ouch. Does he still live around here?" 

"Nope," he said shortly. "Turned tail like a sniveling coward and ran to Texas. No one misses him except maybe the bar owner." He hastened to change the subject. "Now, about this much more pleasant outing, I decided to show you the places around Riverside that had important significance for me growing up. I know it sounds lame, but I think It'll help you get to know the weirdness that is James T. Kirk." 

"Like I didn't know you were weird already?" She quipped, winking at him mischievously.

"True." Jim nodded, with a grin. "But let me show you where that weirdness comes from." 

And so it began. Jim started at the monument to his father that loomed over the town square and his entire life, to be honest. He talked about his painful birthdays and the long rift with his mother and the deadbeat uncle whom he hated. 

Then he took her to the park and strolled around the scenic green landscaping while pointing out the spot he'd beaten up Charlie Roberts for calling his friend Spock a "pointy-eared weirdo".

"Yeah, I got in trouble, but it was worth it." Jim recalled fondly. "Talk about an idiot. I did it again in high school when he said something terrible about Uhura. She scolded me for it, but really didn't seem that mad. She knows I won't stand for racist pigs." 

"You're a pretty passionate person as a rule, it seems, Jim," Lena observed shrewdly. "I wonder how many times that's landed you in the ER." 

"A lot," Jim admitted. "But I've toned it down now that I'm a responsible detective."

She eyed him again as if to say "Sure, Right." 

Jim pretended to not notice the silent sarcasm (seriously, how did she do that with her eyebrow?) and continued the tour, passing by the rundown bar where Pike had delivered his famous lecture that snapped Jim out of his rock-bottom existence and got him to start cleaning up his act. 

He showed her the very bench where he'd had his first broken heart because of a girl. 

"I was only sixteen and thought my whole life was over. Good grief, I got dramatic over her, it was ridiculous. Oh, the teenage angst!" 

At last, when the sun was beginning to edge toward the horizon, he headed the Mustang out of town and into the rural area beyond, pulling to a stop in a small dirt drive. 

"What happened here?" Lena asked. 

"Nothing," Jim replied. "It's the best place to watch the sunset while we happily enjoy the supper that Scotty so kindly provided." 

He winked and pulled out a basket. In a few minutes, they were seated on a blanket facing west and devouring the goodies in the picnic basket: deli sandwiches, fresh chopped veggies, potato salad and sugary snicker doodles. 

Jim was a rather messy eater, as he enjoyed his food with great fervor and abandon. It didn't seem to bother Lena, though. She just laughed and handed him a napkin when he got a dribble of mustard on his pants. Taking a swig of ice tea, she sighed contentedly.

"Well, if you're tryin' to get me to move here someday, you just made a pretty good argument. Scotty is a master and I'm glad you showed me your story." 

He looked at her, silhouetted in the sunset, a look of complete relaxed, unguarded peace on her face and hoped to carry that image with him forever. He moved his hand to rest his fingers lightly over hers as the sun dipped below the horizon.

"Bones," he ventured after some time, "If you ever get tired of Atlanta, remember Riverside hospital would love to have your skills. Geoff was raving about you the other day. Said he'd never seen a surgeon with that level of genius in a long time. Plus, the whole town loves you." Especially me, he thought. "You saved my life Bones and mayor Pike. You're an honorary citizen now."

Lena sighed, a hint of a smile as she looked at Jim.

"I only did what I was trained to do, Jim. But, I admit to being extremely satisfied when Ayel hit the floor: no way was I going to let him undo all my hard work." Jim chuckled at her reluctant acceptance. "Thank you for showing me the other side of you, Jim," she said seriously, taking his hand in both of hers. "I'm glad my first impression turned out to be mostly wrong."

She looked down for awhile and Jim didn't dare break the silence, even though his heart was pounding rather rapidly.

"Jim, I want this like I haven't wanted anything in a long time. I WILL come back here, I promise. I just......want to get some of the broken pieces back together first. Understand?" 

She'd grown more earnest as she spoke and even taken his face between her soft hands. Jim was riveted by this woman and right now, would agree to wait years for her. 

"Bones," he replied softly, "Take all the time you need. I'll still be here loving you when you're ready to come back and I mean that." 

He really did. Jim understood what it was like to have broken pieces and he'd spent years trying to dull the jagged edges in unhealthy ways. He was confident Lena would take a much smarter path to healing and he knew deep down she'd return. 

"Dammit, Jim!" She whispered fiercely and yanked his face towards hers, kissing him desperately, deeply. 

Jim was surprised, but he returned it with all the love he had to give. She rested her head on his shoulder after they came up for air, half-laughing, half-crying.

"I think I just found another reason to come back," she panted.

Jim grinned, despite the overwhelming emotions running through him. She loved him, she'd be back, and he was content. If there was any doubt left, she whispered "Love you, you infuriating man," in his ear as they said good night. Whatever the future held, Jim was too busy building castles in the air to worry anymore. 

Jonathan Archer would have been laughing his head off right then if he saw the town troublemaker had fallen in love with his tenant and was thinking about wedlock in the future. What a sabbatical for Lena McCoy!!


	13. The origins of Joanna

"James T. Kirk!" Lena bellowed for her husband who was taking his sweet time getting out of the bathroom. "Get over here and tell your daughter to quit kicking me!"   
She was extremely pregnant and baby Kirk would not rest from her gyrations inside the womb. 

Lena had indeed returned to Riverside seven months after she left, excited for a new job and a new start with Jim. Their e-mails had flown back and forth for the first few weeks and then she'd called Jim out of the blue, using the number that Winona had secretly given her, when she realized she missed hearing his voice. 

Jim had been stunned, but very glad to hear her, also. Soon, they were talking almost every day, sharing stories and visions of the future. Her therapy was helping significantly dealing with the rubble her ex had left, and Jim cheered her on from afar. 

Boyce had actually beamed when she'd informed him she was putting in her two weeks' notice. "Not that I'm not going to miss you here, but Riverside is a great choice for your new life. Tell Chris I said hi and Jim to behave himself." He winked outrageously and she laughed and blushed. 

So, she'd settled down in Iowa with a much less stressful job and an extremely attractive cop boyfriend. Jim had his share of narrow misses, but nowhere near the Romulan incident, thankfully. 

Jim had given her a ring four months after her arrival and they'd wasted little time in tying the knot, much to both mothers' surprise.

Their wedding was a nice, quiet ceremony in the little chapel of the Presbyterian church followed by a town wide celebration/party at the community center. Jim cut a dashing figure in his three piece suit and Lena frequently dragged him off for "refreshments" periodically because she couldn't help herself. Really, could anyone blame her? Jim himself certainly couldn't, because he was thinking how beautiful she was in her off white satin gown and how crazy in love he was with his bride. 

The pregnancy was definitely an "oops" and Jim's face was hysterical when Lena told him he'd knocked her up on the honeymoon. "Are you mad at me, Bones?" he'd asked nervously, "cause it's perfectly understandable if you are. I'll sleep on the couch for the next week if you want me to."

Lena sighed and hugged him. "It's okay, Jim. We thought we were careful, but evidently not quite enough. Once the shock wears off, I'll get used to the Idea pretty soon, because I do want to have your kid. It's a very Kirk thing to happen the way it did though. You accomplished in one week what ole Joe couldn't do in five years." And she dissolved into laughter at Jim's guilty face again. 

The early pregnancy was less rough then Lena or Jim expected, though there were days when he DID end up on the couch. They'd eventually found out it was a girl, but kept it a secret for the time being. Friends made bets about it and greatly amused Lena by trying to cleverly pry it out of her. 

Eleanor McCoy had decided to move north as well in order to be close to her daughter and future grandbaby, bringing a great comfort to Lena, who'd missed her greatly. Mrs. McCoy found that small town life suited her well and Riverside welcomed her into the fold just in time to throw Lena a baby shower. Gaila really went all out with the planning and the expectant mother freely enjoyed herself and downright squealed like a girl at the adorable baby clothes she received. 

The eighth month in, she was ready for it to be over, as she couldn't see her swollen feet and felt like a whale. Unfortunately, their daughter liked to move while her mother was trying to sleep, which often left poor Lena grumpy and exhausted. 

Jim presently emerged from the shower, towel wrapped around his waist, looking unfairly tempting after a long day on the job solving crimes. Despite her discomfort, Lena frankly and openly admired her man from her position curled up on the bed, dressed in her comfy loose sweats and one of Jim's old T-shirts. 

"I'll be right there, babe. Just gotta get clothes on," Jim said, a grin appearing when he saw her looking. "Unless, of course, you prefer I not wear any." He winked suggestively. 

"Sounds mighty tempting, Darlin', but tonight's more of a footrub kind of night. She's not giving me any peace," groaned Lena, wincing as another kick was landed. For pity's sake, was the baby an aspiring soccer star?

Jim swiftly returned and crawled into bed, laying on his side facing Lena. He turned his head toward her stomach and began to talk to the restless baby inside. "Hey there, JoBeth", (her name was going to be Joanna Elizabeth),"What's the matter, sweet pea? Why don't you settle down now and let your mom get some sleep, huh? Gymnastics can wait till you're a little older. You know Mommy and Daddy love you and we'll be right here." He gently kissed the spot where he felt something press against his hand where he'd been rubbing the bump. 

Lena loved it when he did that. Jim was going to be a doting father, she was sure of that. She scooted closer to him as he raised his head to kiss her. "Hmmm.." She murmured happily. "That's better, Jim." "Good," he said softly and moved to the end of the bed. "Now, let's see about that foot rub...." 

After he'd rendered her limp and boneless, he'd helped her roll over so he could spoon up behind her. "Darlin', you're really getting good at that," she said sleepily. "Why thank you. I aim to please," Jim said with some satisfaction before kissing her neck. "Sounds like the same thing you told me eight months ago. Look where it got us now." She giggled. 

"Life is funny like that," he said thoughtfully. "You think you have it all planned out and then, wham, it knocks you sideways." "Ain't that the truth," she yawned. "But sometimes, the plot twists end up leading to an ending you never could have dared to hope for." 

She laid her left hand on top of his, liking the feel of their rings clanking together. "And the sequel only gets better," Jim added softly, hand resting on her middle. Lena thought that summed it up pretty well. "Love, you, Jimmy," she muttered, drifting off to sleep. "Love You, Bones," he whispered back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, It's finally over, the story I almost gave up on many times. But I did finish it because I'm incredibly stubborn. Sigh. I'm such a hopeless fan of Chris Pine's Kirk I'll keep writing this kind of stuff for a long time.


End file.
